


Alone

by cripplingmoon



Series: Starship Avalon [2]
Category: Passengers (2016)
Genre: Attempted Suicide Mention, M/M, lonely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cripplingmoon/pseuds/cripplingmoon
Summary: Jim is alone. Has been alone for 12 months, 1 week, 3 days and 6 hours. Not that he’s counting. But is today the day he isn’t alone anymore?
Relationships: Jim Preston/Original Character(s)
Series: Starship Avalon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/690180
Comments: 10
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been getting random comments and kudos on this story and it always makes me want to come back to it. I have noticed that I am terrible at writing a continuous story so I think breaking it up into different ficlets is going to be my best bet. One specific commentor found me on tumblr and said the nicest things (won’t say in case they are not comfortable with that). Anyways, this will be two chapters and then any other stories will be individual. I hope that this is worth the 3 year wait (I’ve not got high hopes ^_^’ )

———————————

Silence washed over Jim as he sat at the foot of his bed, his feet brushed against the cold metal in soft sweeping motions. He could hear the soft scuff of the bandage around his heel against the floor. Jim had cut his foot on a broken wine bottle as he was running, from what you ask? Running from his misery, or rather towards it. At the last second the wires in his brain untangled and he could see through the fog. He was a coward, dying alone in this ship didn’t scare him as much as the cold vacuum of space. 

He let his head sag heavily against his chest as he whispered quietly. Nothing coherent, but the murmurs filled the dead space void of anything but the humming of the ship. He can't remember when he sat down, all he knew was that he had been sitting there for a while. He tiltEd his head back to give his stiff neck a moment of reprieve. He sighed through his slack jaw when suddenly the large monitor to his left flashed black. Red warnings blinked wildly for a moment before it returned to the soft forest scenery previously displayed. Keeping his eyes fixed on the screen, he worked his way up the bed to lay down, not bothering with the covers. Cloudy eyes stayed trained on the screen, numb fingers strummed lazily against his jutting rib cage. 

He continued to stare blankly for, he thought roughly an hour, before he pulled to his feet and started to wander toward the door, a slight limp present. He felt like he needed a drink. 

Using muscle memory, he blindly navigated toward his favorite android, on the way he casually checked out the ship, cataloging every detail. The cold metal beneath his bare feet grounded him more than gravity itself. 

He knew the warning was another malfunction, which actual level of concern for Jim was unknown. It had become almost weekly a new error occurred. Jim wordlessly contemplated what went wrong this time. _Heaven only knows_ , he thought bitterly. Rounding the corner of the hallway Jim froze and maneuvered back quickly and quietly. There was another human walking around the concourse.

He was like a ghost as he watched the other man walked around barefoot, looking scared and lost, the surroundings foreign. All 5,000 passengers were asleep before the ship departed, only getting a basic tour of their new temporary home. Jim remembered that feeling, disoriented and desperate for help. He could hear his warm voice calling out into the silence, nobody will listen he wanted to call back while hidden. 

Jim ached so badly to speak out to him but his fear of scaring the man was far worse than his current mental state. He cautiously reached up to touch his ratty hair before he turned around silently and headed back to his room. He had to clean himself up. _Quickly_ , his mind urged. 

His quiet walk back to his extravagant suite was a thoughtful one. What were the odds of two pods malfunctioning on this vastly advance ship? Granted, it has been a little over a year since Jim was awaken against his will on this star ship. Deemed forever alone on the long voyage to Homestead II. Jim decided a long time ago death wasn't so much of a fear anymore as it was a burden. A burden of incessant impatience. 

But...now there was another human awake. Jim felt his chest tighten, his esophagus no longer allowing passage. 

That poor guy was stuck with the same fate as Jim. 

Once in front of the mirror, that always revealed too much, Jim noticed his cheeks were wet. He reached up to wipe at the tiny streams disappearing into his beard. Feeling, and seeing, the weight of his situation on his own face made Jim double over the sink, sobs wracked his body making his chest and sides ache. He wasn't alone anymore. He tried to feel bad for the guy again but his mind couldn't, he was being selfish. He shouldn't be. He shouldn't. 

A few deep breaths later, Jim collected himself and proceeded to rid his face of the facial hair and rats nest atop his head. He slipped on his best blue shirt and forced a smile before he turned and walked towards the concourse.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From Oscars point of view.
> 
> I think since this is an AU and I can do whatever I want, in this version of the story Jim is gay. Oscar is pan. He married Amy but Oscar sees people for who they are, not what they are. He has dated a few men and was engaged to one at one point. You will get a little more backstory and find out about their daughter as the story goes on. I am still writing more for these two!

Oscar blinked slowly, his mind was swimming in a thick fog. He couldn’t quite remember where he was or what he was doing. He tried to reach up to rub at his scratchy eyes but he was stopped by something cold. He did his best to focus his eyes down and noticed he was in a glass pod. Panic set in as he frantically shoved at the clear prison. Finally after a moment he was able to get a crack in the seal and get a better grip to force the doors open and up. He sucked in the cool air as he sat up to calm his nerves. 

Now wide awake, he looked around the room and gawked at the sea of pods around him, each one housing a human in stasis. His memory came flooding back to him and with it, a pounding headache. Carefully he stepped out of the pod and onto the frigid metal floor, holding the pod door for balance. After a moment and able to stand on his own, he slipped away to find a door out of the room. He made his way to the expanse of glass panels lining both sides of the narrow room, hoping one was an access door. After pressing on a few of the panels one gave in and he walked out into a hallway. He followed signs that lead out into the concourse where he headed towards the help station. 

The pole chimed to life and a smiley face rolled around to point in Oscars direction. “How can I help?” The A.Is voice was clean and convincingly human. 

“I’m confused, why is nobody else awake?” He asks the hologram. 

“We will arrive to Homestead II in 89 years. 4 months before arrival the crew will wake up to start preparing for the passengers.” The male voice recited matter-of-factly. 

“W-what?” Before Oscar could ask anything else he heard footsteps behind him. He turned quickly and his dark eyes landed on another human. Flesh and blood. 

“You won’t get any help from that thing,” the stranger gestured toward the smiling hologram. “My name is Jim.” 

Oscar stared for a moment. “What is going on?” 

The stranger rubbed the sleeve of his blue shirt, he seemed nervous. “I have been the only one awake up ‘til this point.” 

Everything was all too much, his head throbbed. “Why did that-that thing say we are still 89 years away? How is that possible?”

Jim took a step closer. “Because it is true, my pod malfunctioned and I was woken up early. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get back to sleep ever since.” 

Oscar scanned the others face for any hint of a joke, something, anything to reassure him. “How long have you been awake?” He was almost afraid of the answer. 

Jim rubbed the back of his neck. “12 months, one week and 3 days.” 

Oscar couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. “I feel like I can’t breath,” he felt himself start to hyperventilate, his finger tips tingled. 

Instantly, Jim is next to Oscar, placing his hands against his shoulders. “Hey, it will be okay. Breathe with me.” Jim inhaled though his nose, Oscars eyes found the others and followed along. Jim whispered quietly to him to breath in and out, in and out, together. 

Once his breathing was back to some semblance of normal, he felt Jim remove his hands reluctantly.

Oscar thanked him quietly, his nerves were calming down. In all the chaos, Oscar had forgotten about this wife. Amy must still be asleep! Without warning, he turned on his heel and ran back towards the long hall of pods. He could hear Jim following not far behind, calling for him to wait. 

Once back in the pod room, Oscar scanned the area for his open hatch. When he found it he made his way over to the pod to his right where he found her asleep. He could hear Jim come to a stop behind him, his breathing was ragged from running. 

“What’s going on?” Jim asked him. Oscar leaned down to one knee and peered into the glass at her sleeping face. 

“This is my wife.” He stated quietly. What was he going to do? She was still asleep and he was going to die on this ship with a complete stranger. He looked back at Jim for a moment and pleaded silently to be left alone. Jim nodded and left. Oscar was all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you guys like the name Oscar or should we change it. I can’t decide if I like it or want to change it to Charlie. Also let me know if you see any glaring mistakes, I have no beta and I suck.

**Author's Note:**

> I should have the second chapter in a day or two. Also please tell me about any glaring mistakes I have no beta but myself.


End file.
